Wednesday, July 5, 2017

I used to love luv luff Glenfarclas 105, but when I bought a bottle last year I didn't luff it. The 2016 bottling seemed hotter, thinner, less rich and (redundant adjective) younger than previous versions. And I had a whole heaping litre of it. So I brought it to an event, wherein the attendees had never tried the 105, and the remainder of the bottle vanished without any complaints.

Distillery: GlenfarclasOwnership: J&G GrantRegion: Speyside (Central)Age: NAS, no mention of age anywhere on the labelMaturation: ex-sherry casksBottling year: 2016Alcohol by Volume: 60%Chillfiltered? NoColored? No
(Sample from my bottle, about 1/3 of the way down)

NEAT
The nose is very floral and sugary. A bit of an earthy note combines with cinnamon sticks. But that's it for a while. After a half hour, there's some brown sugar, mint syrup and dried cherries. The palate is massively hot and drying. Lots of raw edges. Bitter oak. Some nuts and vanilla. It finishes bitter and sharp. Drying and peppery. Some sour vinegar and metal.

WITH WATER (~46%abv)
The nose remains floral, but picks up some malty notes. Hints of cherry candy and soil. No more dried fruit. A bit of wet cardboard. The palate remains drying and bitter. But it's sweeter and maltier, and it picks up a wee smoke note. The finish is also sweeter, while being less bitter and sharp. Still a bit sour and drying. Less peppery.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
To be blunt, its palate and finish are pretty awful at full power. It's reminiscent of American craft whiskey, violently incomplete with loads of oak. The nose is pretty good though, once it's aired out. Diluting the whisky saves the whisky. Its sweetness and maltiness come out to play, adding some balance to all the raw notes.

But even with added water, this version of the 105 doesn't even remotely appeal to my palate. Then again, I've been a bit of a grump lately. I just watched Pixar's Inside Out and said "meh".

MAO reviewed a 2014 bottle of 105 and was unimpressed with that one, though he seemed to find more character to it. I sincerely hope future bottlings of 105 improve. In the meantime I'd go for Tomatin CS, Glendronach CS or A'bunadh far ahead of this one.Availability - The litre bottles are available in Europe and JapanPricing - One litre: $30-$50 (Japan), $35-$55 (Europe, ex-VAT)Rating - 79 (with water only, low 70s when neat)